(Oskaloosa, Iowa)- The Peru State football team put together several strong drives but ultimately fell to No. 15 William Penn 42–21 on Saturday afternoon at Statesmen Community Stadium.

The Bobcats struck first, capping a 17-play, 59-yard opening drive with a 21-yard field goal from Parker Cushing to take an early 3–0 lead. The Statesmen responded quickly, finding the end zone late in the first quarter and adding a defensive score in the second—a 89-yard interception return—to take a 14–6 lead into halftime.

Peru State came out strong in the second half, tying the game at 14–14 when CJ Dixon connected with Chaz Sturn for a 49-yard touchdown. Bryant Thomas added the two-point conversion to cap the drive.

However, William Penn's offense surged late in the third quarter, scoring three touchdowns in the period and another early in the fourth to pull away. The Bobcats continued to battle, with Dixon later finding Thomas for a 10-yard touchdown to complete an 11-play, 60-yard drive.

Dixon finished the game with 216 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Amahd Bacon led the receiving corps with six catches for 92 yards. On the ground, Stacian Livingston carried 19 times for 111 yards, including a 63-yard burst that highlighted the Bobcats' offensive effort.

Cushing had a strong day, hitting both of his field goal attempts and averaging 42 yards on four punts. Defensively, Kyle Jordan paced the unit with 10 total tackles, including a sack and three tackles for loss, while Zahir Washington added a sack of his own.